Ryan O'Donnell

Class of 2017

Education: BS in Environmental Studies at UCSB; MS in Biological Sciences at Cal Poly

 

Biography

Ryan believes unlocking the mysteries of stem cell biology will lead to the development of a vast array of life saving technologies. His interests primarily are cardiovascular and neurological diseases however he always has an eye out for promising opportunities. He believes understanding stems cells is only the beginning.  Innovating ways to utilize that knowledge to improve medicine will require creativity and determination, a challenge Ryan has accepted. Ryan hopes to carry all the knowledge and experience he gains from the CIRM program into any opportunity he believes is ideal for both himself and the advancement of medicine. Whether it’s a Ph.D program or an industry position or organization of his own, only time will tell.

Ryan is interning at the University of California, San Diego/Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute under the direction of Dr. Evan Snyder. The goal of Ryan's project is to use human induced pluropotent stem cells (hiPSCs), animal models, and human brain material to study the impact of neuronal dendrites on the pathogenesis of bipolar disorder. Ryan employs methods such as proteomics, neuronal calcium imaging, and electrophysiology.